The Loudest Silence
by MelodicSunshine
Summary: After their mother leaves with Lily, the Loud kids have to cope with the loss of their motherly role model and their baby sister.
1. Prologue

11:03 PM. That was the time it was when the yelling started. It could be heard from every room in the house, even in the garage. There never seemed to be a time when the loud family wasn't, well, loud.

The children shifted on their beds, trying to find a position that could help them sleep, even through the loud yelling coming from the kitchen. It was like clockwork. Every night, there would be a fight their mother and father, their voices echoing throughout the home where ten children were dying to get sleep. But it wasn't just the noise that was keeping them up. It was the constant fear.

Lynn Loud Sr. wasn't the type to hit anyone. In fact, neither was Rita. They were only interested in seeing who could be the loudest. Their arguments were never the same topic. The last time it was bevause of how late her husband had shown up. This night, it was of something much, much worse.

"Honey, I've spent money on myself before. And for some reason, I go out and buy another gadget and suddenly you're on my ass about it?" The father exclaimed.

"Yeah? Well that 'gadget' cost our vacation savings! What was it anyway?" The blonde mother yelled.

Lynn Sr. whispered something under his breath.

"What?"

He repeated, this time louder but not enough to be heard.

"What was it, damnit?!"

"It was a video camera for Lola!" he screamed.

The woman laughed, the laughter containing no humor whatsoever. She clenched her fists.

"That's it..." she breathed.

The children tossed and turned, hearing every word of the argument and choosing to ignore it. But every time a new word was added, they winced with fear. Whenever it went completely silent, one of them had something extra to say. They were finally happy when they heard the footsteps of their mother walking away. That was until they heard Lily crying.

"You know what, you bastard? If you care so much about getting overly expensive gifts for the children, you raise them. I'm taking the baby!" Rita screamed, her voice breaking down with every word.

"You can't just leave! What about the others?"

"You can take care of them can't you!"

All of the kids were listening in, hearing the front door open, the car start, and driving away. As the car's noises dissipated, so did Lily's cries. What did they do? One of the only things they felt like doing: sleeping.

They all soon drifted into sleep, where that would be the only thing that comforted them as the nights would go on.


	2. Lori

"Hello! Welcome to Flip's food and fuel!" Lori said with mock enthusiasm, though the customer didn't seem to care. They simply passed her and went to search for whatever people buy in gas stations nowadays. She just sighed and continued her shift.

After her mom left, Lori was left to be the responsible female role model in her siblings' lives. Therefore, she had to also earn money to support her siblings. With only one parent working, it was hard to get any money to do groceries or go shopping. And since there were ten kids that needed feeding, she had to work extra shifts to get at least three days worth of groceries just to sustain everyone. With her mother being a dentist, there was enough money to at least get all the necessary essentials, especially with the majority of the family being female.

Her dad still worked, but he could only do so much. He wasn't as high of an official as there mother, so he could only switch shifts when he worked hard enough. And no one was ever home to take care of the others. So, she gave the job of watching her siblings to her boyfriend Bobby, but there a consequence to that, too. Whenever she'd come home from work, Bobby would leave right when she entered the house, obviously exhausted from watching all of the children play whilst trying to forget of the emptiness that plagued them. So she never had time to spend with Bobby, either. Not that she could have, because of her job.

Sometimes she wished her mom was still there, making homecooked meals that could feed everyone. Not to mention that they were of higher quality than the slop that their father made. And that was when they actually had ingredients to work with. Now with the lack of food, he could barely make a meal for one person.

Lori rested her arms on the counter, waiting to greet another customer who happened to enter the gas station. She was lucky Flip gave her this job. She really needed it after the fiasco with Gus' Games and Grub. In fact, Flip gave her the job as soon as she asked. The only catch was that she had to put up with whatever happened at that place, and by that, she just assumed to not quit because a customer was overly rude or something. And she could agree with that. It's not like she could quit anyway, she needed the money.

Flip came out of his office, yawned and stretched, obvious signs that he was sleeping in his office. Again. He saw Lori behind the counter and gave her a grin. Lori nervously smiled back. He approached her behind the counter and moved closer to her.

"How d'ya like your job here, little missy?" he said cheekily. He was still grinning from ear to ear, which made Lori's heart speed up a bit.

Lori put on a fake smile. "It's great, Flip, thank you."

"No problem sweetie, as long as you're working for me, you'll be alright." he said slyly, placing his hand on hers. Lori's stomach lurched.

"Um, alright then." she said, moving her hand away.

Flip then moved his hands on both of her shoulders, massaging them. "You're in gooood hands." He said singsongly. He moved his mouth close to her ear. "You might just be my best worker yet.

With no other choice than to comply, Lori realized what price she had to pay just to get money for her family.


	3. Leni

"Okay, Leni, let's try this _again_."

Lisa Loud pointed at the chalkboard behind her.

"Leni, read the sentence again." The girl commanded.

"The pidge- pidge- pig flew north for the winter." The blonde spoke, utter confusion escaling her lips.

"No, no. Leni, try again." Lisa said, massaging her temples and closing her eyes, indicating a headache.

Leni opened her mouth once more, but once again repeated the phrase incorrectly.

"No, no, no! Leni, you're wrong again! It's pigeon!" the scientist yelled, getting frustrated with the lack of knowledge Leni portrayed.

Trauma was the leading factor for Leni's decrease in intelligence. Yes, she still acted like a dope most of the time, but their mother was always there to straighten her out. Leni, under complete stress because of the loss, quickly forgot the little information about life that she knew. This lead to her failing eighty percent of her classes. In response, her father took her out of school, and now had her tutored by Lisa.

"Let's try this instead." she placed three different colored bowls onto the table. One red, another blue, and the final one yellow. "Now, pick the blue one."

Leni scrunched her face up in thought. After another minute of concentration, she finally pointed at the blue bowl. Lisa smiled.

"Very good, Leni!" she said, grooming her so that she could get the correct answer often. She picked up the blue bowl and pulled out a water bottle. "Now, I want you to fill the blue bowl with water." she opened the bottle. "Can you do that for me?"

She nodded dumbly then took hold of the plastic bottle. Unfortunately, she tipped it too fast, causing almost all the water to spill onto the carpet. She looked back at Lisa with scared eyes.

Lisa lost her temper, and slammed both hands on the table, letting out loud breaths of air. She tried calming herself down as best as she could. Leni was frustrated. She wanted to know why her sister was so upset, and she wanted to comfort her. Unfortunately, her decrease in normal life skills prevented her from asking what was wrong, so the only thing she could do was cry. Cry because Lisa was mad at her. Cry because she didn't have her mother to help her.

Cry because nothing in her life would be easier ever again.


	4. Luna

"Dad, please, give it back!" Luna cried, trying to pry her precious bass away from her dad's hands. "I've had it since forever!"

"Well there's no used keeping it here!" he replied, tearing it away from her once more and walking upstairs. "I'm keeping it in my room until I can find a way to sell it."

"Sell it? But Dad! I need this guitar!" she explained, clenching her fists.

"For what?" he asked. Stopping midway up the stairs.

"I need it to make wicked rad music! It'll help me get the job I want!"

"And what job is that?"

"A rock star!" she replied matter of factly.

"Oh, wow, yeah, that's totally the best career for you!" her father said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "How about trying to find a reasonable job? Like an accountant or an engineer?"

"I'm not interested in any of that stuff dad! I need to keep making music, then I'll be recognized." She tried to explain again. Her father continued walking to his room.

"Luna..."

"I'll get noticed by Mick Swagger, I'll make tons of money!"

"Luna."

"I'll even show mom what she's missing out on!"

"Luna, for God's sake when are you going to face the music! You'll never make it into the goddamn music industry!" Her father snapped. After that final sentence, he went to his room and slammed the door, making sure to lock it behind him.

Luna just stood there, shocked. Not going to make it in the music industry? What? Come on, she had to have some shot. I mean, she had written all those letters to Mick Swagger, practically begging him to take her as a guitarist. And it wasn't that she wasn't talented either. She had enough skills with stringed instruments, even the ukelele! There had to be a way to get the job of her dreams, there had to be.

Luna trudged over to her room, shoulders slouched and her body hunched over in sadness. She walked over to her bed and threw herself onto it, curling up and trying to bury herself in the sheets, wanting to disappear. Where was the encouragement she always got from her parents? Where was the love and adoration she had when she played music for her siblings? In fact, where was the music itself?

Still curled up on the bed, she began to softly cry. Everything in her life that had been enjoyable was now being taken away, and there was mothing she could do about. It was at that very moment she knew...

The music in life had faded away.


	5. Luan

"Luan? How are the eggs?" Luna asked, looking across the table to try and meet her sister's eyes. No one else was at the breakfast table, considering everyone was at school. Their father was at work, and Luna decided they should power against the machine by skipping school. Luan hadn't agreed to that idea at all. In fact, she dodn't disagree either, so it was hard to tell what she wanted.

Luan stayed silent, picking up her fork and poking at her fried egg with no interest. She tore open the yolk, the yellow fluid dribbling out mimicking her emotions. Luna decided to try again.

"Hey, Luns," She started again, deciding to use the cutesy nickname she made for her. "How are the eggs? Wouldn't you say their... eggscellent!" Luna finished her joke, trying to bring a smile to her sister's face. To add to the effect, she added a bout of fake laughter afterwards.

If laughter was the best medicine, Luan was allergic to it, as she didn't even crack a smile. The laughter turned into nervous giggling and then finally died down, as she realized she wasn't going to smile anytime soon.

"I'm not hungry," Luan mumbled as she got out of her chair and walked to the living room. Sitting on the couch, she did not move a muscle. She didn't reach for the remote, didn't run her fingers inbetween the cushions, or hadn't really moved at all. Luna started to worry, picking up her plate of half eaten scrambled eggs as she placed her food on the coffee table and sat next to her on the couch. Putting a hand on her leg, she tried to see what was wrong.

"C'mon, little dudette, you haven't been talking much lately. Look, all of us are bummed out too, but that doesn't mean that there won't be times where we can't make jokes! You're the funniest person I know. So come on, say something funny to me." Trying to cheer the comedian up, she gave her a warm smile. Luan opened her mouth.

"What's the difference between my house keys and the will to live?"

"What's the difference, Luns?" she said, finally ready to hear one of her sister's famous jokes.

"I haven't lost my house keys." She said before staring down at the carpet. She rested her head on her hand.

"Hahahaha! That's so funny Lu-- oh." The ex-musician realized what the joke meant and fell silent once more.

"You know what? Let's watch some TV." She said before reaching the remote.

"I'm not in the mood, Luna." She replied, taking it out of her hands and tossing it to the side.

Luna looked around the room frantically to look for something to keep Luan occupied. Suddenly, her eyes looked over the plate of food she still had.

"You should at least eat a little, sis." She said before grabbing the plate and fork. Getting some eggs on the fork, she moved it towards her mouth.

"C'mon, Luan, eggs are one of your favorites!" she said. Luan kept her lips shut, refusing the food.

"I don't want to eat. I don't feel good."

"Come on, just a couple of bites." She pleaded, inching the fork closer and closer.

Suddenly, Luan smacked the fork out of her sister's hands, the silverware making a clanging sound and the eggs falling to the carpet. Luan stood up.

"I said I'm not hungry!" She yelled before storming out of the room. The other girl just stood there, looking down the hallway and then back at the spilled food. Putting the plate down, she began to clean up the mess.

Luan stomped to her room, clearly upset. She didn't want to see her sister for the rest of the day. She was in no mood to talk to her, especially in the state that she was in. Her hands shook, her body rejecting whatever food that she did eat, and her eyes began to feel weary. Deciding to take a nap, she laid her head on the pillow, willing herself to sleep. She would have to interact with Luna all day, which she hated.

After all, they did share a room together.


	6. Lynn

"Damnit, that's the second one I broke today!"

Lynn paced back and forth angrily in her room, her feet making the most obnoxious of stomping noises as she drowned in the anger of the situation. Her punching bag had ripped, causing the sand that was in it to empty itself onto the floor. It was covered in patches from previous tears, but she was in no mood to fix it again.

Lynn had been exercising harder than before. She would exercise whenever she had gotten the chance. She would mostly work out her upper arms and legs, some definition already showing in her young body. Though she was the healthiest out of the bunch physically, health wasn't her concern when it came to using her punching bag; it was usually anger.

You see, Lynn was not the type to be sad and mope around. No, the only thing the girl was interested in was pure revenge. After she lost her mother, or 'bitch' as she'd like to call her, she took up most of her time working out, getting prepared to beat the everloving hate out of her. She thought that it wasn't just because she was angry. It was because her mother deserved whatever came to her, and soon enough she would receive the can of whoop-ass that Lynn was so ready to unleash onto her own mother.

"What's going on down there?!" Her dad yelled from the top of the stairs.

"Nothing, just broke my punching bag... again." she replied, kicking the small pile of sand that had already formed.

"Well try and find some other thing to punch." Her father insisted, then rushing back into his room.

Lynn agreed with her father's suggestion, (which was a rarity in this house), and decided to find another way to release her anger. So who better to pay a visit to than her only younger brother, Lincoln?

Lynn turned the knob to his room, but realized it was locked. She knocked once, but still didn't get a response. Finally, as a last resort, she yelled.

"You stupid bonehead! Open the door!"

"Lynn, who are you talking to?"

She turned around only to catch a confused glare from Lincoln, who was holding a cup of orange juice and some toast.

"Oh, there you are." She said. "Who's in your room?"

"Luna." He replied. "She had a falling out with Luan and she wants to stay there for today. And hopefully just for today."

She just waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Hey, wanna help me with my workout?"

"Oh, sure." He agreed.

They both walked to Lynn's room. The first thing Lincoln noticed was the beaten and torn punching bag that was strewn across the floor.

"Uh, Lynn, what happened to your--"

Her fist immediately connected with the middle of his back, causing him to drop his food and drink and put his hands on his back.

"Ow! What was that for?" He questioned.

"Quiet, dumbo! It's lucho libre time!" She said before pouncing on him, managing to pin him down onto the carpet. She raised her fist again and socked him right in the cheek, his face moving to the side to prevent the same treatment to the other one.

"Please, stop!" He begged, using his arms to try and pry his sister off of him. But it was to no avail. She kept him pinned in such a way so that he couldn't move his legs, but he can move his arms freely. He decided the only way for her to listen was to fight back, using any and all strength that he had in him to land small punches on Lynn's sides. She didn't flinch, however, and took this opportunity to punch once more, this time managing to knock one of his front teeth out.

"Stoooop! I said stop!" He said, choking back any lack of masculinity. Come to think of it, at this moment, Lynn seemed more masculine than him.

She decided that she had tortured her brother long enough, and got off of him. "Finally let loose all that pent up anger. You should try fighting back sometime. It'll do wonders for you." She said before reaching her hand out, offering to help Lincoln up. He agreed, and took her hand as she pulled him up. He frowned and clutched the side of his face.

"You should put some ice on that." She said before laughing. "Nah, but seriously, don't leave it like that. Nobody wants to know how much of a wuss you are."

He just ran out of that room as fast as he could, making his way to the kitchen and grabbing a bag of frozen peas, putting it against the side of his face. He moved his tongue over where she had knocked his tooth out. He wondered if it would grow back. But he was happy to know that Lynn wouldn't need a new punching bag anymore.

Because that punching bag was him.


	7. Lucy

'Overreacting, overreacting. I'll show them overreacting.'

Lucy tried to get some sleep. She had already brushed her teeth eith whatever toothpaste was left, got into her pajamas, and laid down on her bed. Her eyelids refused to close, as her thought continued to plague her with insomnia that she really wished she hadn't had. It had been only 9 PM, but she insisted to get extra sleep before the others. God knows she needed it. Something was always keeping her awake, and usually it was whatever she was thinking about. This time, it was about her worries of what was to come.

Lucy wasn't the type to think about the bad things that had happened. She usually thought up solutions to the problems her young life had to offer. And right now, that was what she was doing. Recently, her sisters have changed. Obviously, everyone has noticed and no one bothered to better themselves. Every one is either extremely sad or so angry that they can't even think straight. Not only that, but their family has to take huge measures in order to get meals for everyone. With Lori and her dad working shifts and Bobby babysitting, she had no mature person to converse with. And that was a major problem.

You see, Lucy needs someone who can tell her what to do, how to do it, and when. She needed someone to give her rules and restrictions on how to live her life. Living freely and able to do whatever you want got pretty tiring, especially since there was no one to stop you. Bobby was no exception. Whenever dad and Lori were out working, he'd just watch them, not caring about playing with anyone. Just keeping track on what their doing. And even then he didn't do a good job. She had seen so many dilemmas including fights, arguments, and even vandalism, and what did Bobby do? Nothing. He'd sat on the couch all day not giving a word to anyone, and he'd feel exhausted just being in the same house as everyone else. She was surprised he hadn't broken down from stress or lack of attention from his 'babe.'

But this night she had been thinking of one solution that could end her troubles. One that could easily take away every trouble that was in their house. And it was so easy to accomplish, too.

She wanted to run away.

It would be easy, too. Just gotta pack a bag filled with all the stuff she needed, some food, some water, and then she'd be on her way. There was literally nothing stopping her. No parents to tell her what to do. No siblings to have to share anything with. Everything would just have to be about her. Then she could do anything she wanted. Perform seances, buy ghostly accessories, and anything to quench her cravings for the spooky. All she had to do was pack, and walk out that door. She just needed a push.

Suddenly, as soon as luck would have it, Lynn walks in him.

"What's up, Luce." She greeted her. "Had any good talks with Edwin lately?" She teased.

"Of course I hadn't you broke him apart right in front of my eyes." She said coldly.

"Eh, whatever. It's not my fault you have to be all lame and edgy." She replied, lying down on the floor getting ready to do sit ups.

"Now shut up before I use you as a punching bag." Lynn threatened.

And finally, Lucy realized she got the push she needed. A threat that would surely be accomplished from her sister. She could run away from the fear of being beaten, and it would be all her fault. Standing up, she grabbed a bag.

"Lucy, what are you doing?" She asked, but no real care was put into that question.

"Planning." She replied, and continued putting various things into the bag.

Tonight would be the night she ran away.


	8. Lana

"Lana! Get Charles in the car, now!" Her father called out to her, pointing to Vanzilla.

Lana was in doorway of the front door, the small pup in both of her arms. Its black and white fur was soft against her skin. The feeling of the dog was the most comforting sense that she felt. Charles meant a lot to her. She had him since he was a puppy, and they had been inseparable. They did basically everything together. Eating, bathing, playing, you name it. Lana had so much love for such a small dog and honestly he was the light of her life. But soon enough, that light was going to be cast away in a matter of moments.

"Dad... please. We can still keep him. Maybe if we train him enough he won't do it again." She pleaded, grabbing on to any string of hope that she had left.

"Lana, it was horrible what Charles did, and I'm afraid if we continue to keep him, it is just going to continue. Sometimes in life, you have to let the best things go, no matter how much they mean to you." The words that came out shocked her, as she was surprised her father was sympathetic about this event.

Near tears, Lana carried the sleeping dog into the car, sitting down in the front seat and putting him in her lap. Her dad got in the driver's seat and started the car. No one turned on the radio. They only listened to the sound of nothing. Every so often, she would pet the head of her dog ever so gently, the touch causing the dog to stir in its sleep. It was so peaceful to see Charles in such a state, especially since what had happened to get them here in the first place.

It was two days ago, when she arrived home from another day of school. She was happy to come home and receive many "I missed you" kisses from her pets, Cliff the cat, Izzy the lizard, Geo the hamster, and Walt the birdie. She had many others, but she was forced to sell them. But she was happy, since she figured that they would have better homes than they did then. However, when she opened the door, she was greeted to a horrible sight. Since the family barely had any money, they could only afford there own food, barely having enough money left to buy pet food. So when Lana came in to see her pet dog had killed the family cat, along with the rest of the pets, she was more than shocked.

But now, she couldn't even sell him to a better home. No, there was only one place they were going.

"Come on, Lans. We're here." He said.

And they were there. The last place where Lana would ever see Charles alive.

She picked up the sleeping dog, waking him in the process. He greeted her with little licks on the nose, and she smiled. Though a growing sadness made itself known once she realized that she would never receive such tender love from Charles ever again.

They had parked right outside of the animal hospital. Once in, Lynn Sr. made his way to the reception counter. He spoke with the receptionist for a short while. Lana wasn't listening, as she was playing with the dog for what could be their final moments having fun. Her dad took a seat and after about ten minutes a veterinarian appeared.

"Lynn Loud?" She asked.

Lana gulped, and they both followed the doctor inside.

"You can set the dog here," the doctor patted on the table. She put Charles on it as the doctor spoke.

"Now, here's how this is going to work. I'll give you a few moments to say your goodbyes, and then I'm going to inject this medication into its back leg--"

" _His_ back leg." Lana corrected her angrily.

"Y-yes." The vet said. "The medication will cause its heart to slow down. It takes thirty seconds. It'll be painless and no harm will be done. I'll give you time to say your goodbyes to him." The vet left the room.

Lana and her father looked at their dog. She was the first one to speak.

"Charles, old pal, I want ya to know that I love ya with all my messy heart, and--" she sniffled, a tear rolled down her cheek as she started crying. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

As if knowing her emotions, the pup licked at her face, wiping away the tears that flowed. She smiled.

"T-thanks, Charles." She said. The vet walked back in.

"Are we ready?" She asked. They both nodded. This was it. This was the last time they would see Charles alive.

A pain in Lana's heart began to swell as she saw the vet inject the medicine into his leg. It stuck its tongue out, panting softly and licking at the air for a few moments. It looked up at its owner, and seemed to smile. She smiled back, fully knowing that this was the best decision. Rather than letting him live on in a house where barely anyone loved him, he could go to a better place. Although it was not in this realm, he would still have a happy life afterwards. She continued crying, as his breaths died down and he closed his eyes. He exhaled one more time, and his breathing stopped.

And so did Lana's happiness.


	9. Lola

Has something bad ever happened to you, and you thought it was all your fault? That was how Lola felt.

She had been sitting at the dinner table for thirty minutes, even after everybody had finished whatever horrendous meal their father had halfheartedly made. Tapping her fingers on the table, she kept thinking about the whole reason why her mom left.

Of course, since it was a large family they were going to need a lot of money, but they did splurge from time to time on something unimportant. For instance, they got Lisa a Mini Mad Scientist chemistry kit, and that thing costed around one hundred dollars. It wasn't that much of a waste, however, since Lisa used it to win the Nobel Prize more than once. But, there was that one thing that Lola had set her eyes on: a Dikon video camera.

Since Lola thought she was one of the most beautiful pageant queens of the century, she thought that her wins should be recorded with only the highest quality cameras. This one had the best sound and video quality a camera could have, though there was a catch. It was expensive, so expensive that she couldn't count all of the zeros at the end of the price tag, (She is six after all.) But, she felt that she desperately needed it. And her father agreed. He loved to do anything for his children, and nothing seemed out of reach for him. So, he had gotten it. But what he didn't tell her was that he had grabbed all the money they had been saving up for their trip to Hawaii, a vacation everyone wanted and needed. This, of course, set off all of the events that happened. It prompted her mother to leave, her siblings to be upset, and her father an angry wreck. But you might be wondering how this affected Lola?

Well, you see, she thought it was all her fault.

She just wanted that camera so badly, and her father wanted to make her happy. But, it was her greed that started this entire conundrum. And she couldn't feel any more guilty.

She decided to go back to her room, making sure to close the door behind her. Lana was going to sleep in the dog house for God knows what reason. Lola then looked outside her window, seeing their backyard. A black feathered bird flew by, which caught her eye. It was flying in a circular motion over their back yard, and every so often it would cry out a low cry. The bird reminded Lola about Lucy, and how she loved anything black and dark. She decided that she would take a picture to show her. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen her around in a while. But, maybe she was just hiding like she always was. Ready to scare the living crud out of her siblings. So when she came back, she would give her the picture, giving a little sliver of happiness for the goth girl.

Looking under her bed, she finally found the camera her dad bought her, and set it up by her window. However, when she was just about to snap a picture, a thought appeared in her head.

'Why are you using the camera that brought your family such sadness?'

Her eyes widened, as she suddenly realized her actions. Why would she use this thing that tore everything apart? She doesn't deserve to use it. She was the one that decided to get it anyway, she doesn't deserve to even look at it. Everyone, Lana, Lisa, Leni, Luna, were all in pain just because of her greed. Why? Why did she have to get dad to buy this stupid camera?

In a fit of rage, she opened her window and tossed the camera out. It hit the ground below, making a smashing sound. She grinned. Now she wouldn't have to use it ever again. But then, hard footsteps came running towards her door.

"Lola!" Her father yelled as he barged in, startling the former beauty queen.

"Yes?"

"What did you to my camera?!!" He asked loudly.

"I got rid of it. It is the reason why everyone's in such a bad mood." She explained, crossing her arms and smiling.

"You idiot! I was going to sell the camera!"

Her smile disappeared as soon as she heard those words. She uttered a "What?"

"I was going to sell it to get our vacation money back! We could've gotten our money! Hell, your mother would've probably come back as well." He punched the door and yelled, frightening Lola to the core.

He then left, and Lola sank down next to the window. The guilt felt like a punch to the stomach, and Lola could barely take it anymore.

Has something bad ever happened to you, and it was all your fault? That was how Lola felt.


	10. Lisa

"Lucy! Lucy! Where are you?" Lisa called out into the black of the night. Lincoln and Leni were right behind her, calling out Lucy's name.

It had been at least three days since Lucy had disappeared seemingly out of nowhere. The last time she was seen was in her room, while Lynn was excercising. When quesioned, she explained that she had been planning something. And everyone came to the logical conclusion that Lucy ran away. And since that discovery, they have been trying to find her. Lisa had even put off Leni's tutoring and Lynn put off beating her brother into oblivion. But even then, they barely had any help. The others were either too busy or didn't care. And their father was at work, so he was out of the question.

Lisa continued walking down the street along with her two other siblings. Each one was getting more and more worried. Except Leni, her brain was fried enough. Adding any more negative emotion would cause a breakdown, and the scientist did not need that at this moment. They continued walking until they found a silhouette in the light of a street lamp. An image of black hair was seen, and they ran towards it.

"Lucy? Is that you?" Lisa asked the figure. Hearing her voice, it turned around. It was not Lucy, but in fact it was a taller girl with the same raven black hair. She looked down at the Loud children with mascara covered eyes, some of it looking like it had already run.

"Maggie! From the birthday party!" Lincoln said, recognizing the girl. She nodded.

"Yup. I'm out here looking for someone." She explained.

"Us too!" Lisa said. "We're looking for Lucy, have you seen her?"

Leni made an indistinguishable noise, trying to ask the same question in her mental state.

"Um, I saw someone run towards the cemetary." She said. "We should get going."

They started running right into the direction of the cemetary, ignoring any and all fears that they might have of the area. Once they entered, they continued calling out to her. They needed to find her. They didn't and couldn't lose another member of their family. They didn't need more heartbreak then they already had. Suddenly, a rustling came from the bushes. Maggie agreed to go investigate, as she was used to such spooky sightings. Looking in the bush, she quickly turned around and screamed. They quickly rushed towards the noise.

"What happen--"

"Look!" Maggie yelled, pointing at the bush she looked in. Lisa investigated, looking and finding something that shouldn't belong in the bushes: two human teeth. She grabbed the two teeth and showed the others. Leni made a gagging sound while looking just stood in shock.

"Wait, this doesn't prove anything she might still be here."

And with that being said, she felt a droplet hit her face. Lisa touched it, and looked. Blood. Where was it coming from? She decided to look up.

There was Lucy, up in the tree branch, clutching her mouth and crying.

"Lucy!" Leni said, everyone being surprised of her use of her sister's name.

"Come down!" Maggie yelled. Lucy sniffled and complied. With no words, she ran to her brother and hugged him.

"I just..." she sniffed. "want to go home."

"Alright." Lisa said, and turned to Maggie.

"Thank you for helping us." She said.

"No problem. As long as Lucy is safe." She replied, and they went their separate ways.

Back at home, everyone had gathered to see Lucy and ask here what happened. She was bombarded with the same question over and over. "Why did you run away?" She decided that this would be the best time to speak her mind.

It took a while, but she explained everything. She told everyone how lonely she felt after their mom had left, and how everything had gone to pure hell. She hated how everyone got really sad or angry, and that everyone was so spiteful against one another. Some of her sisters even tried blaming themselves, and she was just sick of feeling the same emotion all the time: sadness.

Everyone hugged her, and said that they would promise to be a little bit more lighthearted towards each other.

And at that moment, that one peaceful moment that everyone shared, they couldn't be happier.


	11. Announcement

_**Hello, everyone. I am happy to see you all are enjoying the story so far. Though, it is coming close to its end and I have one question to ask. Whose chapter would you like me to continue? I know every sister had their own reactions and honestly I would like to know if you would want a continuation of someone's story. If one character has a good amount of votes, I'll write a separate story detailing their emotions and problems during that time. So please, feel free to tell me which one I should write about. Thank you.**_

 _ **-MelodicSunshine**_


	12. Lincoln Announcement

"There ya go Lincoln. Dad's making dinner tonight so go inside to eat when he says so." Lori said. She had dropped Lincoln off right outside of their home, but he insisted on staying outside even though it was pitch black.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to..." She paused, and her eyes started to tear. Lincoln tried to look, but she turned away. When she turned back, she put on a warm yet fake smile. "I have to get to work. Flip will want me to continue cleaning." After that, she drove off.

'Why was Lori acting strange? Oh well.' He thought before sitting on the sidewalk right outside of his home. The front door was open, and light poured out from the living room and kitchen, where his dad was probably making one of his meals. Lincoln knew he'd probably have to hypnotize himself to eat it, since there was no way in hell he could do it otherwise.

Mom didn't cook that much, but she gave better ideas. She even suggested knew ingredients for recipes their father regularly made. And that's what made it enjoyable. Now, with barely any funds to provide cable or toilet paper, he had to resort to eating crummy meals with little to no care put into them. But food wasn't the only thing that prevented him from sitting at the dinner table. It was his family.

Before you know what, the Loud family dinner consisted of eating good food, making jokes, maybe getting dessert and overall having so much fun with family. But, now that has changed, too. Everyone seems to have neglected one another in favor of getting their mother back, or trying to make themselves happy. And at dinner, it is cranked up to eleven. Angry glares from across the dinner table, awkward silence, bickering from any two siblings. Sometimes Lincoln made a game about which two would fight first. Today he was betting on Lola and Lana, since they a falling out ever since she accidentally hit her on the side of the head with Lynn's softball bat. And then it would probably end in a food fight, and not the playful kind. The kind where you'd have to wash every part of the table and possibly eat it off the floor afterwards. One of the worst parts was that Dad didn't even eat with them, instead going out to eat with friends and mooching off of them for money. And when that didn't work, he'd just force Lori to cook him something. And those meals were probably better than the ones that everyone else was fed!

But that wasn't even the worst part. No, the worst part was that Lincoln could never cheer anyone up. He used to be able to make people smile, to give positive emotions to others when they really needed it. Maybe even make them weep tears of joy. He'd always thought about others, and even when he didn't, he would soon come to his senses and fix it. He made big sacrifices just to make people happy, and most of the time it actually worked. But not anymore. Now all his sisters cared about was making a quick buck just so they can get back on their feet. Others just sat around and moped, not even trying to get up for school. And others just picked fights, some even coming out with scratches and bruises that were caused by God knows what.

Others couldn't make him happy. He had hung out with Clyde a few times this week, but for some reason having a good time made him sadder. He wished he could give the feeling of enjoyment to everyone that he had cared for. Clyde, of course, supoorted him through his rough times, but only for a little. His dads were becoming more and more strict. They always scolded him about not playing with the poor people, and they never realized that the 'poor person' they were talking about was Lincoln Loud. Ronnie Anne, though, was a huge help for a little while. She was offering to give stuff to him such as snacks, games, and once she even brought him a bag full of candy, just for feeling sorry for him! Those little moments between him and his friends were the things that pushed him on. He wanted to help severely, and he just needed a push to do it. But, no, he couldn't cheer anyone up.

He couldn't even cheer himself up. Instead he stayed up late outside, watching the late night planes fly by or maybe spotting a firefly or two twinkling by. Hell, one time he fell asleep outside, and was only aware when his father honked the horn, signalling for him to get to school. And it's not like he could talk to anybody about it. He just keeps complaining about the same things over and over, and people got really sick of it. But that didn't mean they didn't care.

If only there was something that could make him hold on, something that could push him to go further and fully understand what his purpose was in this situation. What could he possibly need in order for him to not only help himself, but to help others?

That question was left unanswered, until he heard someone walk outside. He turned around to see his father with a plate of half eaten chicken legs.

"Hey, Linc. Here's some leftovers from tonight's dinner." He said as he put the plate down next to his son.

Lincoln didn't speak a word. His father sighed.

"Look, I know what we're going through. Your mother's gone, money is tight, and everybody just seems to be in a bad mood. But let me tell ya what. We're gonna fix this. Some way, some how, we are going to go back to normal, with your mom or not." He said triumphantly. Lincoln stood up and hugged him.

"Thanks dad." He said. His father nodded and walked away, leaving the boy to eat his dinner. He took a chicken leg and took a bite out of it. Chewing slowly and thinking hard, he felt calm.

He had finally done it.

He finally got a push. Everything will go back to normal with the right amount of effort.

All he has to do it wait.

 _ **=**_

 _ **Hey, everyone. That was the Lincoln chapter that was asked for from popular vote. I hope you enjoy it. However, I will be making a follow up chapter to see how Rita and Lily are doing. I will also still be taking requests for which character you want to see another chapter of, but I'm going to be more specific. You have to name the character you want a second chapter of, and the reason as to why you want the second chapter. And please PM me the requests, as I do not want the review box to be full of them. That is all.**_

 _ **-MelodicSunshine**_


	13. Rita

**_Hello everyone. I am truly sorry about the long hiatus. I've had work to do, things to attend, and personal problems to mend. Not to worry, the next chapters will come sooner, and you won't have to wait as long as you did. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience and hope you love this chapter._**

 ** _Please give your feedback!_**

 ** _-MelodicSunshine_**

Her eyes shot open as another wail was heard from the living room.

Rita Loud clambered out of her bed, an annoyed frown plastered onto her face. Her hair wasn't doing her any good either, as it was an unkempt mess on her shoulders.

It was midnight in the dreary apartment where she stayed. With the gloomy night rain clouds came, along with thunderous claps from the rainstorm that seemed to roll in very quickly. Rain beat on the window, making a steady thudding noise as she made her way over to the living room.

"What do you want now, Lily?" Rita asked, as if the tiny infant could answer. More babbling and frustrated crying was heard as she neared the crib.

She looked down and saw Lily crying, possibly because of the loud rain, or maybe the living room light flickering. Either way, she knew she had to calm her down somehow. Then she could actually get some sleep for once.

"Does Lily want, Mommy? Hmm?" She asked before picking her up, and trying to tickle her. This quieted the cries a smidge, and she began to put her down, but the screaming came back.

'Maybe she's hungry.' She thought before going to the kitchen. She got out Lily's bottle, poured some milk into it, and popped it into the microwave to warm it up. She hummed to herself, trying to drive out the baby's cries and babbles while also trying to drive out the thoughts and regrets that plagued her mind.

Did she deserve this? No. Not at all. It was Lynn Sr.'s fault for even buying that camera. That ruined everything. Why would he waste money on something so expensive? Surely he would have just used the camera that had kept in the garage, not waste their vacation funds on something that the kids will use maybe once or twice, then never again. And everyone in that house always had a problem with one thing or another, including her. That being said, that could have been the reason why she left. Maybe the camera thing was just the breaking point. No, no. She loved her family, didn't she?

Her thoughts were soon broken as the microwave beeped and she was rewarded with an extra loud whine from Lily. Sighing, she retrieved the bottle and went back to the crib. She gave the bottle to Lily before she started sipping, looking content, even for a few moments.

These few moments were spent with Rita sitting on the couch and continuing to wallow and think.

After she left, she tried asking Aunt Ruth if she could stay with her. Ruth asked why, and when Rita explained, she kicked her out. She called her a stupid woman for leaving her husband and children after so many years of being together. But she wasn't stupid, she was tired. Tired of all the shit that her family had put her through, and she had had enough. She tried finding a place of her own, and found this poorly built but cheap apartment, nowhere near where her family had lived. And that was a good thing. Didn't want to pity her husband if he came grovelling at her feet when he came over. But actually, that never happened. Ever since that, she never got calls from Lynn, the kids, Ruth, Pop Pop, and anyone else that once cared about her. But at least she had Lily. After she managed to get the apartment, she had quit her job. She couldn't afford to go and hire a babysitter while she was working, and just used the money she had right now. But soon enough, she would have to find a job, make money, and support not only her, but the baby that would soon grow into a nice young girl. That was another thing that seemed to bite at her mind. How would Lily grow up? Would she be raised well enough by her now single mother? And when it comes time for her to enroll in school, where will she go? Surely not to the same school Lincoln goes to. No, she'd fine someplace good, someplace better. She'd have to have a better life for her and Lily, just to prove to everyone else that she was fine on her own. Because she is fine on her own.

'Maybe tomorrow I'll go shopping for groceries with her,' She thought. 'And then we could go to the park and have some mother/daughter bonding time. And maybe I'll drop her off at Ruth's so I can attend a yoga class or two.'

The idea of relaxation for the next couple days was bliss just thinking about it. But, once again, those thoughts were pierced by the noise of Lily's shrieks as she continued crying, even after drinking all of the contents of her bottle.

With a now angry sigh, Rita looked into the crib to see the whimpering baby.

"What do you _want_?" She asked, this time with an angrier tone. The baby started crying a bit louder after being frightened by her angry mother. "Come on! You're not hungry, you're not tired, what do you want?!" She said even louder. The angry cries of frustration made Rita tear up, a few tears rolled down her cheeks as her sadness reared its ugly head.

If only Lily could speak, then her mother would know what was wrong. Lily was not hungry, nor tired. She was only lonely. She hadn't seen other members of her family in weeks, and she spent most of her days in her crib, wondering when her father would come in to play with her. She would also be sleeping one night, and her dreams would be filled with memories of all of her sisters, and the one brother that she cherished.

With both mother and child crying while the thunderstorm boomed outside, one has to wonder, does Rita miss her children? Does she miss her husband? Does she miss the way things used to be? But the most important question would be...

Will life ever be the same for the Loud family?


	14. Lynn Sr

Looking into the empty glass, Lynn Sr. breathed a heavy sigh. Undescribable emotions welled up inside him as he sat in the bar. He was already on his third pint in the span of five minutes, and he still wanted more.

He lifted his head and looked around the bar. Headache-inducing music blared in his ears as he scanned the room. It was extremely crowded, which only made his heart hurt more.

His house used to be crowded too, with all the kids running around the living room, arguing about who knows what and getting into fights over the TV remote. Remembering those times almost put a smile on his face.

Almost.

Now, he was lucky if he even saw one of the kids leave their room, either to eat dinner or use the bathroom. And now, with most of the pets gone and the kids all isolated in their own rooms, he had to listen to the sound of the deafening silence when he sat in the living room.

He could tell he was becoming a bad father. He took a sip of his new beer as he thought about all the times he ruined the relationship with his family. Luna, Lucy, hell, even Lynn. But the one that hurt most all of was Lincoln.

With Lincoln being the only boy in the family, he had a strong bond with his father. He looked up to his father, saw him as a role model. Now, he was a shell of his former self. Every time he looked at Lincoln's face and saw nothing but resentment, he just wanted to break down. But he couldn't. Even in times like this he had to be strong for his family. Or what was left of it, anyways.

Speaking of family, he had to get home to them soon. He had Lori watching them while he was out. Bless her heart, she was one of the only ones that still cared about her father. The others seemed to turn on him as if it was his fault all of this happened. But it wasn't!

God, how long had it been since she left? It might've been a short while but it felt like days. Weeks. Years.

He missed Rita. He really did. Their marriage had stood the test of time. Sure, it had been a little rocky here and there, but damnit, he loved her too much and didn't even care. And now, she was gone. And so was his motivation to do... pretty much anything.

He barely went out, only to get groceries and to the local bar. He barely talked to the neighbors. (not that Mr. Grouse wanted to talk much anyways) All he did was sit at home, attempt to make conversation with the kids, (which never ended well) and sulk about the loss of Rita and Lily.

He would probably never see Lily grow up. And it hurt him. Hurt him real bad. So bad that he gripped his now empty glass in his hand.

"Hey, buddy. You doin' alright?" The bartender asked, raising his brow.

Lynn ignored him, and instead focused on the emotional pain he felt. Never again would he hear Lily's babbles and coos when she saw her father's face. Never would he see her beaming face as she hugged her teddy. Tears welled up in his eyes. Lily wouldn't grow up with him. Lily wouldn't grow up with her father. Unless...

Rita married another man.

The thought made Lynn startle. In a fit of sudden anger he threw his glass down to the floor, shards of glass flew as the bartender shouted "Hey!"

Everything went quiet, and all eyes were on the father, who was now breathing heavily, his shoulders heaved as he tried to collect himself.

"Get out!" The bartender yelled, shooing Lynn out the door. "You've had one too many! Go home, man."

He lifted Lynn up by the shirt and started carrying him towards the exit, throwing him outside and shutting the door.

Now, he just sat there on the ground, remnants of his previous emotional outburst still lingering. He put his hands up to his face and wept. Until he felt a buzzing coming from his pocket.

Realizing it was his phone, He pulled it out of his pocket and realized someone was calling him. His eyes adjusted to the sudden bright light of his screen as he tried to read the caller ID. His heart skipped a beat as soon as he read it.

Rita is calling.

So many emotions went through his head. Confusion, happiness, anger, relief. His hands clambered to hit a button as his phone continued to buzz.

Pausing, he breathed in and held it, and hit answer.


End file.
